Every year around this time, about a dozen of my relatives and I spend a week in a rental home on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We share the rental fees and we also share food expenses which makes the house very economical for everyone.
I set up my Icom 703 on the shaded, cool balcony of the home this year. I brought my PAR end fed, multi-band Zepp antenna which is cut for 40-20 and 10 meters and I used it almost exclusively for the week.
This is a fun week. Marilyn and I usually take a walk on the beach in the morning, ride our bikes midday, and enjoy another walk in the evening. This year, we found an "off the main road" trail into an Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary near the town of Duck. It was a beautiful ride along a hidden area on the ocean.
There's been very little activity on the ten meter band but I've been able to work several stations in South America. One station in the Caribbean, on the island of St. Lucia (J69AZ) is a new DX entity (#53) for me. In South America, I worked LU6UO (Buenos Ares, Argentina) and also PY1MX in Brazil. I also worked PY2EME in Sao Paulo Brazil and heard a new 10 watt beacon (PP6AJM/B) in Brazil.
On 20 meters, I worked W4MQC in Florida several times. Alan was on Pine Island, which was amusing, since I'm operating from Pine Island, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Alan has his antenna placed on a mooring post next to his boat dock. I also worked KB4JR in Florida and N4LTS who was operating portable from Miami Beach.
Luckily, I was able to work a few DX stations too. An interesting contact was HB0/DL2SBY in Germany, who by the way, sounded like he was local. Another interesting contact was VO1BB on St John's Island near Newfoundland. He was using 3 watts of power. As the weekend came to a close, I also worked IZ4DLR in Bologna Italy.
6 comments:
Hi John and congrats on some nice DX and stateside contacts. That is a beautiful home. 73 Dick
Hello Dick,
We always rent this place just before the "tourist" season begins. It's a LOT cheaper this way. hihi
I'm beginning to realize just how compromised my location is in Charleston. Although the SFI was low, I was still able to work 5,000 mile stations while there on the water.
The PAR antenna worked great for me!
Nice looking station there on the balcony John.
That's a beautiful area. I've not been to the coast in a while. Always wanted to go back with my radio equipment since becoming a ham.
Hello Mike,
Simplicity is everything Hihi
I really enjoy setting up a portable station. There's a BIG difference in electrical noise and distant contacts on the ocean.
Can't wait till next year!
Good morning John, looks like a great place to be for relaxation and of coarse some radio time!! I can say that I am jealous wishing I was out and about on a vacation like this.... but at the same time enjoy the rest of your time and happy hunting on the air waves!
Hello Mike,
It was a fantastic week with the radio and from now on, I'll always bring it along on this trip.
There's an amazing difference between the valley and the seashore with HF.
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